Check holder and punch



1929- o. F. FORSLUND 1,735,241

CHECK HOLDER AND PUNCH Filed July 18, 1928 INVEN TOR. OSCAR F. FORSLUND ATTORNEX Patented Nov. 12, 1929 PATENT OFFICE OSCAR IF. FORSLUND, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS CHECK HOLDER AND PUNCH Application filed. July 18,

My invention relates to an improved construction of holder and punch for checks of the kind commonly used in restaurants to show the amounts charged the customers. Checks of this kind are.frequently printed with figures corresponding to the different specific amounts to be charged the customers, the particular amount in any case to be indicated by punching the check at the corresp onding figure. Checks of this kind are commonly fastened together in pads by means of staples to facilitate handling them, the check portion which is to be used, beingconnected with the stapled stub portion by a perforated or indented line facilitating tearing the checks from the pad one after another as they are needed. My holder is particularly adapted for holding pads of checks of this kind and my check punch is adapted for punching the checks after they are torn from the pad to afford the indications referred to.

My improved device involves novel features of construction and operation illustrated in the accompanying drawings showing a preferred embodiment thereof, in which Fig. 1 shows my holder and punch in plan view,

Fig. 2 is a left hand side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a right hand side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is an endview of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown in the drawings, my improved device consists of a flat sheet metal plate or body portion 10 having side flanges 11 and 12 projecting upwardly at substantially right angles with the portion 10,at a distance from each other slightly greater than thewidth of a pad of checks to be carried by the holder. The body portion 10 is substantially as long as, or a little longer than a pad of checks to be carried by the holder, and at one end, the body portion 10 has formed thereon an upwardly extending end flange 13 to retain the pad of checks against end movement on the holder, the end of the body portion 10 being obliquely cut away as indicated at 14: between 1928. Serial No. 293,613.

the ends of the end flange 13 and the ends of the side flanges 11 and 12, to facilitate engaging the ends of the checks to lift and separate them from each other preparatory to tearing them from the pad of checks in the holder.

Adjacent the other end of the body portion 10, the upper edges of the flanges 11 and 12 are provided with lugs 15 and 16 extending towards each other substantially parallel with the body portion 10 to lie between adjacent I ones of the checks of'a pad, when the pad is slid in place on the holder. The device is made of sheet metal, for example iron or steel, of sufficient thickness to impart the necessary stability and strength to the device and as a resultthe lugs 15 and 16 may be thin enough to readily enter the pad of checks between two ad acent checks, and to facilitate this the edges of thelugs 15 and 16may be sharpened if desired. The position of the lugs 15 and 16 on the holder is such that when a pad of checks is in place on the holder, the lugs lie between two adjacent check extensions in the stub portion of the pad, as a result of which, tearing the checksfrom the pad is not interfered with by the lugs 15 and 16, and since the lugs 15 and 16 areadjacent the staple or I staples securing the stub portions of the checks together, the pad of checks is effectivelyheld in place on the holder by the lugs 15 and 16..

Adjacent the lugs 15 and 16, and between them and the adjacent end of the body portion 10, the flanges 11 and 12 are extended to form side walls 17 and 18, these side walls being somewhat higher than the thickestpad of checks to be carried by the holder. As indicated, the lugs 15 and 16 are cut from the side walls 17 and 18, so that the side walls at their upper portions are wider than at their lower portions. The side wall 17 is bent at its upper endover the body portion 10 and substantially parallel with it, as indicated at 19, to form the female member of the punch and to support a check in position to be punched. I find it convenient to use edge punching for punching the checks, and I accordingly form a V-shaped aperture through the punch member 19 of the same shape as the end of the male punch member 20 located to cooperate with the punch member 19. The punch member 19 at its inner edge is provided with upwardly extending lugs 21 adjacent the edges of the punch member 20 to retain the punch member 20 in alignment with the aperture in the punch member 20 to retain the punch member 20 in alignment with. the aperture in the punch member 19,, and. also serve as stops to engage the edge of a check being punched and limit the depth of the portion cut from the check by the punching operation. The other side wall 18 is extended asshown more clearly in Fig. 4, first outwardly away from the side wall and also away from the holder as a whole, as indicated at 22 where it is tolded back uponitself and continued towards the punch-member 19 to formthe punch member 20; Adjacent the punch member 20, the part 23; carryingit'is extended laterally so; that it is wider-than, the folded portion 220i theside wall; extensiomto form a convenient operat ing means.- for; the punch member 20. The double portionv 22 of the sidewall extension operates-as a spring member tending; to hold the punchmembenZO; above; the punch member 19, t-o permit a: check tobe' readily inserted between the punch memberQOand the punch member 19, against the stops 21, 21. I; find it desirable to make thespring action of the doubled port-ion, 22 more flexiblethan would be the caseii the metal were left imperforate, and tothat end I provide apertures 2a,, 24 through the doubled portion. adjacent the bend therein. I find by experiment that the desired flexibility is thus: secured without weakening the bend in the doubled, portion, which; would be t-hecaseit an aperture were formed through the bent portion.

To facilitate carrying the holder and punch, I form a flat retaining strip 25 from the body portion, said: stripbeing disposed back ofthebody portion suficiently-toengage a belt, or other band which may be a part of: the clothing of the user,thestniphavingsulii cients-pri-ng action on account oi?v the nature of the sheet metal employed, to retainv its shapewith ordinary usage.

'Eheentire device, it will-beobserved is prefl erably made from a. single sheet of metal, having suflicient stiflness to insure an ,eflcctive cutting action between, thepunch members, which at the same time imparts. the desired amount of spring action to-the bend and to the holding strip 25. The apertures 52% afford aconvenient means for receiving a-mctal ring or link of a supporting chain wheretor any reason-it is desired to use such a chain to carry theholder orsecure it to/the clothing of the-user.

It will be observed that. the thumb I of the user will naturally engage the-portion 23 of the punch member 20 in detaching-a check from a pad carried by the holder andthat with this positionof the thumb, the punch is engaged in a natural, and correct man er to operate it, as a result of which there need be no shifting of the punch in the hand of the user from the time of detaching a check from the pad of checks, until the punching operation is completed. It will also be observed that the punching mechanism is above the entire pad of checks and in a position clearly in view at all times which facilitates convenient and efi'ective operation of the punching mechanism.

In using the holder, the pad of checks is inserted at the end carrying the punching mechanism, so that the lugs 15 and 16 enter between adjacent checks to cause the backing of the pad of checks to rest on the body pon tion 10, anl the pad is then slid into place until its end is adjacent the end flange 13. At this time. the lugs 15 and 16 he in the stub portion of the pad, adjacent the retaining sta ple or staples, and as a result of the pressure exerted on the stubs of the-checks by the retaining staple or staples, the lugs are firmly engaged by the adjacent stub portions and the pad of checks is not readily movable in the check holder, which condition continues until the last check is torn from the pad, after which the remaining stub portions are removed and a fresh pad of checks inserted as described. As stated above the tearingline of the checks is just outside of the inner edges of the side walls 17- and 18 at their widest portions, and theholding devices referred to do not therefore interfere with removing the checks in any way. i

lVhile I have shown my invention in the particular embodiment above described, it will bS-HIIClGTSiOOd that I do not limit myself to this exact construction as I may employ equivalents known; to the art at the time of the filling out ofthis application without dcparting from the scope of theappended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a holder and punch. for checks, a one piece sheet metal structure comprising a flat body portion, edge flanges extending from said body portion, check holding lugs extending towards each other from the edges of; said flanges near one end of said body portion, side walls ext-ending from said flanges at said one end ot'said, body portion in substantially parallel relation, and cooperating punch members extending respectively from the outer ends of said side walls towards each other to surrount thestub end of a pad of checks.

2. In holder and punch for checks, a one piece sheet metal structure comprising a flat iody portion, edge flanges extending from said body portion, check holding lugs eX- tending towards each: otherfrom the edges or said flanges near one end of said body portion, side walls extending from said flangesat said one end of said body portion in, substantially parallel relation, cooperating punch members extending respectively from the outer ends of said side walls towards each other to surround the stub end of a pad of checks, and an end flange extending from the other end of said body portion.

8. In a holder and punch for checks, a one piece sheet metal structure comprising a flat body portion, edge flanges extending from said body portion, check holding lugs extending towards each other from the edges of said flanges near one end of said body portion, side walls extending from said flanges at said oneend of said body portion in substantially parallel relation, and cooperating punch members extending respectively from the outer ends of saidside walls towards each otherto surround the stub end of a pad of checks, one of said punch members comprising an apertured portion substantially parallel with said body portion, and the other punchmember comprising a pressure receiving portion shaped at its free end to engage the aperture in said apertured portion with shearing action.

4. In a holder and punch for checks, a one piece sheet metal structure comprising a flat body portion, edge flanges extending from said body portion, check holding lugs extending towards each other from the edges of said flanges near one end of said body portion, side walls extending from said flanges at said one end of said body portion in substantially parallel relation, and cooperating punch members extending respectively from the outer ends of said side walls towards each other to surround the stub end of a pad of checks, one of said punch members comprising an apertured portion substantially parallel with said body portion, and the other punch member comprising a pressure receiving portion shaped at its free end to engage the aperture in said apertured portion with shearing action, said other punch member extending first laterally away from said body portion and then continuing with a bend back over itself into alignment with said apertured portion. p

5. In a holder and punch for checks, a one piece sheet metal structure comprising a flat body portion, edge flanges extending from said body portion, check holding lugs extending towards each other from the edges of said flanges near one end of said body portion, side walls extending from said flanges at said one end of said body portion in substantially parallel relation, and cooperating punch members extending respectively from the outer ends of said side walls towards each other to surround the stub end of a pad of checks, one of said punch members comprising an apertured portion substantially parallel with said body portion, and the other punch member comprising a pressure receiving portion shaped at its free end to engage the aperture in said apertured portion with shearing action, said other punch member extending first laterally away from said body portion and then continuing with a bend backover itself into alignment with said body portion, edge flanges extending from I said body portion, check holding lugs extending towards each other from the edges of said'flanges near one end of said body portion, side walls extending from said flanges at said one end of said body portion in substantially parallel relation, cooperating punch members extending respectively from the outerends of said side walls towards each other to surround the stub end of a pad of checks, and second lugs extending from one of said punch members and engaging the other of said punch members for maintaining said punch members in alignment with each other.

' 7 In a holder and punch for checks,a one piece sheet metal structure comprising a flat body portion, edge flanges extending from said body portion, check holding lugs extending towards each other from theedges of said,

flanges near one end of said body portion, side walls extending from said flanges at said one end of said body portion in substantially parallel relation, cooperating punch members extending respectively from the outer ends of said side walls towards each other to surround the stub end of a pad of' checks, one of said punch members comprising an apertured portion substantially parallel with said body portion, and the other punch member comprising a pressure receiving portion shaped at its free end to engage,

the aperture in said apertured portion with shearing action, and second lugs extending from said apertured portion and engaging op posite edges of the cutting end of the other of said punch members for maintaining said punch members in alignment with each other.

8. Ina holder and punch for checks, a one piece sheet metal structure comprising a flat body portion, edge flanges extending from said body portion, check holdinglugs extending towards each other from the edges of said flanges near one end of said body portion, side walls extending from said flanges at said one end of said body portion in substantially parallel. relation, cooperating punch members extending respectively from the outer ends of said side walls towards each other to surround the stub end of a pad of checks, and second lugs extending from one of said punch members and engaging the other of said punch members formaintaining said punch members in alignment with each other, said second lugs constituting a ""i pa pad check stop during a check punching operation.

9. In a holder and'punch for checks, a. one piece sheet metal structure comprising a flat body portion, edge flanges extended from said body portion, check holding lugs extending towards each other from the edges of said flanges near one end of said body portion, side walls extendingfrom said flanges at said one end 01" said body portion in substantially parallel relation, cooierating punch mem bers extending respectively from the outer ends of said side walls towards each other to surround the stub end of a pad of checks, one of said punch members comprising an apertured portion substantially parallel with said body portion, and the other punch member comprising a pressure receiving portion shaped at its free end toengage the aperture in said apertured portion with shearing action, and second lugs extending from said apertured portion and engaging opposite edges of the cutting end of the other of said punch members for maintaining said punch members in alignment with each other, said second lugs constituting a check stop during a check punching operation.

10,111. a holder and punch for checks, a one piece sheet metal structure comprising a fiat body portion extended at one end into substantially parallel side walls for receiving a pad of checks between them, said side walls being extended at their outer ends over said body portion; and constituting cooperating punch members.

11. In a holder and punch for checks, a one piece sheet metal structure'comprising a fiat body portion extended at one end into substantially parallel side walls for receiving apad of checks betweenthem, said side walls being extended at their outer ends-over.- said body portion and constituting cooperating punch members, one of said punch members comprising an apertured portion substantially parallel with said body portion, and the other punch member comprising a pressure receiving portion shaped at its free end to engage the aperture in said apertured portion with shearing action.

12. In a holder and punch for checks, a. one piece sheet metal. structure comprising a flat body portion extended at one end into substanti ally parallel side walls for receiving of checks between them, saidside walls being extended at their outer ends over said body portion and constituting cooperating punch members, one of said punch members comprising an apertured portion substantially parallel with said body portion, and the other punch member comprising a pressure receiving portion shaped at its free end to engage the aperture in said apertured portion with shearing action, said other punch: member extending first laterally away from said body portion and then continuing with a bend back over itself into alignment with said apertured portion.

13. In a holder and punchfor checks, a one piece sheet metal structure comprising a flat body portion extended at one, end into substantially parallel side walls for receiving a padof checks between them, said sidewalls being extended at their outer ends over said body portion and constituting cooperating punch members, one of said punch members comprising an apertured portion substant-ially parallel with said body portion, and the other punch member comprising a pressure receiving portion shaped at its free end to engage the aperture in said apertured portion with shearing action, said other punch member extending first laterally away from said body portion and thencontinuing with a bend back over itself into. alignment with said apertured portion, said other punchmember having aligned apertures through its two parts adjacent its bend.

1%. In a holder and punch for checks, a one piece sheet metal structure comprising a flat body portion extended at one end into substantially parallel side walls for receiving a pad of checks between them, said side walls being extended at their outer ends over said body portion and constituting cooperating punch members, and lugs extending from one of said punch members and engaging the other of said said, punch members for maintaining said punch members in alignment with each other.

15. In a holder and punch for checks, :1 one piece sheet metal structure comprising a flat body portion extended at one end into substantially parallel side walls for receiving a pad of checks between them, said side walls being extended at their outer ends over said body portion and'constituting cooperating punch members, one or" said punch members comprising an. apertured portion substantially parallel with said body portion, and the other punch member comprising pressure receiving portion shape at its free end to engage the aperture in said apertured portion with shearing action, and lugs extending from one of said punch members and engaging the other of said punch members for maintaining said punch members in alignment with each other.-

16. In a holder and punch for checks, a one piece sheet metal structure comprising a flat body portion extended at one end into substantially parallel side walls for receiving a pad of checks between them, said side walls being extended at their outer ends over said body port-ion and constituting cooperating punch members, and lugs extending from one of said punch, members and engaging the other of said punch members for maintaining said punch members in alignment with each other, said lugs constituting a check stop during a check punching operation.

17. In a holder and punch for checks, a one piece sheet metal structure comprising a fiat body portion extended at one end into substantially parallel side walls for receiving a pad of checks between them, said side walls being extended at their outer ends over said body portion and constituting cooperating punch members, one of said punch members comprising an apertured portion substantially parallel with said body portion, and the other punch member comprising apressure receiving portion shaped at its free end to engage the aperture in said apertured portion with shearing action, and lugs extending from one of said punch members and engaging the other of said punch members for maintaining said punch members in align ment with each other, said lugs constituting a check stop during a check punching operation.

In witness, whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 11th day of July, A. D. 1928.

OSCAR F. FORSLUND. 

